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Expert Fuels More Global Warming Speculation
Environmental advocates say 2007 was a warm year in Illinois, and that's a problem.

Weather stations around the state reported mean temperatures ranging from less than one degree to nearly 3 degrees above normal last year. The National Climactic Data Center shows cities like Chicago, Moline, Peoria, Rockford and Springfield with mean temperatures in 2007 that were at least 2 degrees above the normal mean between 1971 and 2000.

Brian Granahan, a staff attorney for the group Environment Illinois, says the evidence shows an unusually warm year. "In 2007, the average temperatures for both Peoria and Rockford were 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above average," Granahan said. "Peoria experienced days of 90-degrees or warmer 34 times in 2007. That's 14 days above the average of 20 days above 90-degrees."

Granahan says the figures from 2007 are part of a trend which, if it continues, would give Illinois a climate like that of Texas by the year 2095.

The result of such a rise in temperatures would be more energy consumption to keep buildings cool, and agriculture would be affected by more severe storms to more droughts---along with increased soil erosion and run-off, and more pests.

Granahan says the way to fix the problem is to reduce global warming carbon emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. He says that can be accomplished by having energy efficient vehicles and producing electricity through wind and other renewable, clean power sources.
11 05 08 by Newsroom
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